Willem-Alexander to become king in 'C&A fur'

King Willem-Alexander will wear the fur robes worn by his mother at her investiture when he is sworn in as monarch on April 30, the Volkskrant reports on Monday.

The ermine mantle itself will undergo restoration before the ceremony, the state information service told the paper.

The garment dates from 1948 and is a ‘bad copy' of the original worn by Willem I, founder of the Dutch monarchy, at his coronation in 1815, art historian Dieuwke Grijpma told the paper.

The robe was also restored before queen Beatrix' investiture by the queen's dressmaker Theresia Vreugdenhil. Some of the fur used to carry out the restoration came from the wife of a former C&A executive. This led members of the royal family to say the queen was inaugurated in 'C&A furs', Grijpma said.